J’adore Candour!

Love a wine tasting event. Not a knees-up on a Friday night with nibbles, but a proper collaboration of like-minded peeps where you hopefully learn something and taste something memorable. ‘Trade Only’ innit.

VESSEL (@vessel.wine) really hit the spot a couple of weeks back. Under the arches @thekernelarch7 in Bermondsey who were excellent hosts. The brainchild of Kirsty Tinkler of @weinobib fame who cajoled 16 like-minded importers of natural wine to bring a selection of their finest in keg, bag in box (BIB), pouch and (lots of) cans.

We’ve already added some English natural wine in cans to our on-line mix. Malvern Bacchus Orange and a Somerset Pinot Blend Red. Suitably low ABVs to reflect what remains cool climate for viticulture. FAB.

Next cans off the rank are a pair of natural wines from @candour  who are (sic)‘…bringing the joy of wine to a wider range of people and places, offering limited editions of carefully selected, well-made wine from small European producers. Packaged in single-serve aluminium cans as a more sustainable and convenient alternative to traditional glass bottles’. First up a zippy & fresh white blend from the Sousa sub region of Vinho Verde in Portugal. From producer Sem Igual which translates as ‘no equal’.The vineyards are in conversion to organic certification and the wines are made with spontaneous fermentation, minimal sulphur, and a longer time spent ageing. The resulting wines are compelling and, as promised, without equal.
The red is from ‘Les Clos Perdus’ or lost vineyards so Corbieres appellation. An ex-Pat Aussie Paul Old approaches winemaking with a gentle approach that allows the true expression of the terroir. Bright red fruit from Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre from 2 vintages. The wine was made with a spontaneous fermentation and is deep rich and earthy. Unfiltered and unfined.

The sun shone, the deckchairs were out, the vines were clearly visible on the horizon.
Les Caves and Under the Bonnet wines put on an excellent event under canvas @woodfine.wine last week. A showcase of where natural English wine is at with a real sense of clarity and purpose for making wines according to the soil types, native grape varieties and climatic conditions currently presenting in England + Wales. Embracing Seyval Blanc, Triomphe, Auxerrois ….and plenty more varietals that had me reaching for the reference books. Winemakers forgeing their own way; their own style with confidence and not simply mimicking Champagne or any other more established & renowned region.

I sampled Pet Nats; Col Fondos; a Riesling; a wine from 60 year old Seyval Blanc vines; Qveri ferments; Pinot Noirs and a knock out blend Lost In A Field Frolic Pet Nat from Tim Wildman MW. Featuring abandoned or neglected heritage vines including Huxelrebe, Reichensteiner, Schonburger + Madeline Angewine for white and Dornfelder, Rondo + Regent for red. A wine for the ages, pink, colourful, refreshing very much in touch both with the history of the land and the exuberant nature of its creator.

More Wine will be featuring the more esoteric side of English & Welsh wine making from here on with limited parcels available off our web shop or an under-the-counter dm only.